by Martin Frank, USA TODAY Sports

by Martin Frank, USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA - The scrutiny began Tuesday, when the Philadelphia Eagles held their first practice of training camp and the quarterback competition began in earnest.

Rookies, selected veterans and the quarterbacks - 30 players in all - reported to the Eagles' training facility Monday. The rest of the 90-man roster will report Thursday, with the first full-squad practice Friday.

Until then, and even afterward, the focus will be on the quarterbacks.

Michael Vick and Nick Foles are considered the main participants, although rookie Matt Barkley said not to count him out. Foles and Barkley said they expect to win the job. Vick was not made available to reporters Monday.

"At the end of the day, I'm not here to be a backup," Foles said. "I'm here to be the guy. I don't think we play this game to sit on the bench. We play it to play, and I'm here to play."

Vick, the 10-year veteran, and Foles, in his second season, split first-team snaps during the four organized team activities during the spring. Barkley, the Eagles' fourth-round draft pick, got all of his snaps with the third team during spring OTAs.

While many would consider Barkley the long shot, the former Southern California quarterback doesn't see it that way.

"I don't think it matters how I see it, other than you're in it," Barkley said. "That's all that matters. The coaches have said it's there. My mind-set is I'm in it, and I have to do everything to prove that it's mine."

It's the first time since 1997 that the Eagles have come into training camp with an open competition at quarterback. But that's the repercussion of a 4-12 season, after which coach Andy Reid was fired.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said all of the quarterbacks understand the situation, despite Vick saying last month that he wanted Eagles coach Chip Kelly to name a starter before training camp started.

"Every conversation I've had â?¦ with Michael about competition, he's all for it," Roseman said. "He wants the best players to play and he's not shying away from competition in any aspect. He knew that when we signed him. He knew there was going to be competition at every spot, and he said nothing other than he wants to compete."

Quarterback is one of many positions up for grabs for the Eagles. But none of them will garner nearly as much attention as the quarterback battle. The players know this.

"The offensive players are just as excited about that competition as the press and the fans," center Jason Kelce said. "We can't wait to see who ends up taking that position. I'm excited to see who does the best job in training camp, the preseason games, and who's going to give us the best chance to win on Sundays."

Kelce realizes that could take some time to determine, and he and the rest of the linemen are prepared for a long, drawn-out battle that could last until the season opener Sept. 9 against the Washington Redskins.

"I would rather it takes as long as it needs to be taken," Kelce said. "I don't want a decision to be made because it has to be made. ... I want it to be clear who has played better, who has done a better job in the preseason, and who is going to give our team the best chance to win. Once that's been shown who that is, go ahead and name the starter."

Kelly said a starter couldn't be determined during spring OTAs because the players weren't in pads, the quarterbacks weren't allowed to be hit and defenders couldn't cover wide receivers in anything other than man-to-man.

That means the quarterbacks are starting training camp from the same spot.

"There's no leader," Foles said. "There was never a lead. That was the spring. That was an opportunity for the team to get better. I feel like I had a solid spring. I feel like there was a lot of stuff I needed to correct from the spring. I looked at it as a work in progress."

Frank also writes for The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., a Gannett property.